course. Why don’t you try your hand at knocking over the bottles,” he said, offering her three small balls. “Just knock over a few bottles and I’ll give you your pick of those little dolls.”
“Oh, no.” Meg shook her head, smiling ruefully. “Thank you but I could never hit even one of those bottles.”
“How about you, mister?” The man promptly turned his attention to Ty. “You gonna let your girl go home without one of those little dolls she’s got her heart set on?”
Ty glanced at Meg, seeing the way her cheeks had flushed at hearing herself described as “your girl.”
“Of course not,” he said, grinning at the huckster. He winked at Meg. “Who could pass up an opportunity to win a little good luck?”
Ten minutes, two dollars, and uncounted missed bottles later, the man behind the counter handed Meg the kewpie doll she’d picked out.
“Isn’t she darling?” Meg hugged the doll to her and then smiled up at him, her eyes sparkling. Her pleasure was so real that Ty was half sorry he hadn’t won her something more spectacular. “Thank you, Ty.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Seems to me the man deserves a kiss.” The older man leaned against the counter, giving the two of them an indulgent smile. “Fella goes to all that work to win something for his girl, he ought to get a reward. Go on, miss. Don’t mind me.” Flushing, Meg stood on tiptoe and brushed a kiss across Ty’s cheek. He felt the light pressure of the hand she set on his shoulder for balance; caught the warm, clean scent of her hair and suddenly remembered the softness of her mouth under his, the gentle weight of her body against his. As she drew back, their eyes met and he knew she was remembering the same things. Ty felt his hands lift, the idea of pulling her close half formed in his mind.
And then she dropped her hand from his shoulder and looked down at the doll she held, breaking the tense little moment.
“Thank you for the doll,” she said, her tone almost formal.
“I hope she brings you luck,” he said.
Maybe it was just as well he was going to be leaving soon, he thought as they walked away from the booth. If he spent much more time with Meg, it might be easy to forget all the reasons she was strictly off limits.
“Meg?” At the sound of her name, Meg turned, relieved to have the awkward moment interrupted. The woman who’d spoken was a little taller than Meg, a little older, a little heavier. Her pale-brown hair was cut in a cap of short curls more practical than fashionable. Her eyes were blue, but a paler shade than Meg’s.
“Patsy?” Meg hadn’t seen her older sister in more than a year.
“It is you, Meggy,” Patsy exclaimed, her face creasing in a smile.
“Patsy!” This time Meg’s voice held warm affection.
They embraced, a quick hug that reaffirmed the warmth that had always been between them. When they stepped back, Meg’s eyes took in the changes in her older sister. She’d seen so little of her since her marriage five years before, a quick visit at Christmas had been about it, and last year, there hadn’t even been that much.
Meg had accepted Patsy’s withdrawal, the same way she’d accepted everything else in her life that couldn’t be changed, from her father’s abuse to her feelings for Ty. She’d never seen much use in questioning the reasons for why things happened.
“How are you? I haven’t seen you in so long.” Patsy kept her hands on Meg’s shoulders as if she couldn’t bear to let her go.
“I’m fine. How are you? And Eldin?” she added, dutifully asking after the brother-in-law she barely knew.
“We’re both fine. Eldin travels a lot, you know — selling farm equipment and all. He’s working harder than ever these days, what with things being the way they are. Farmers don’t have much money to spare.”
“I guess not.” Meg searched for something else to say, shocked to find that it was necessary. After all this time, there should have been a
“Oh, no.” Meg shook her head, smiling ruefully. “Thank you but I could never hit even one of those bottles.”
“How about you, mister?” The man promptly turned his attention to Ty. “You gonna let your girl go home without one of those little dolls she’s got her heart set on?”
Ty glanced at Meg, seeing the way her cheeks had flushed at hearing herself described as “your girl.”
“Of course not,” he said, grinning at the huckster. He winked at Meg. “Who could pass up an opportunity to win a little good luck?”
Ten minutes, two dollars, and uncounted missed bottles later, the man behind the counter handed Meg the kewpie doll she’d picked out.
“Isn’t she darling?” Meg hugged the doll to her and then smiled up at him, her eyes sparkling. Her pleasure was so real that Ty was half sorry he hadn’t won her something more spectacular. “Thank you, Ty.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Seems to me the man deserves a kiss.” The older man leaned against the counter, giving the two of them an indulgent smile. “Fella goes to all that work to win something for his girl, he ought to get a reward. Go on, miss. Don’t mind me.” Flushing, Meg stood on tiptoe and brushed a kiss across Ty’s cheek. He felt the light pressure of the hand she set on his shoulder for balance; caught the warm, clean scent of her hair and suddenly remembered the softness of her mouth under his, the gentle weight of her body against his. As she drew back, their eyes met and he knew she was remembering the same things. Ty felt his hands lift, the idea of pulling her close half formed in his mind.
And then she dropped her hand from his shoulder and looked down at the doll she held, breaking the tense little moment.
“Thank you for the doll,” she said, her tone almost formal.
“I hope she brings you luck,” he said.
Maybe it was just as well he was going to be leaving soon, he thought as they walked away from the booth. If he spent much more time with Meg, it might be easy to forget all the reasons she was strictly off limits.
“Meg?” At the sound of her name, Meg turned, relieved to have the awkward moment interrupted. The woman who’d spoken was a little taller than Meg, a little older, a little heavier. Her pale-brown hair was cut in a cap of short curls more practical than fashionable. Her eyes were blue, but a paler shade than Meg’s.
“Patsy?” Meg hadn’t seen her older sister in more than a year.
“It is you, Meggy,” Patsy exclaimed, her face creasing in a smile.
“Patsy!” This time Meg’s voice held warm affection.
They embraced, a quick hug that reaffirmed the warmth that had always been between them. When they stepped back, Meg’s eyes took in the changes in her older sister. She’d seen so little of her since her marriage five years before, a quick visit at Christmas had been about it, and last year, there hadn’t even been that much.
Meg had accepted Patsy’s withdrawal, the same way she’d accepted everything else in her life that couldn’t be changed, from her father’s abuse to her feelings for Ty. She’d never seen much use in questioning the reasons for why things happened.
“How are you? I haven’t seen you in so long.” Patsy kept her hands on Meg’s shoulders as if she couldn’t bear to let her go.
“I’m fine. How are you? And Eldin?” she added, dutifully asking after the brother-in-law she barely knew.
“We’re both fine. Eldin travels a lot, you know — selling farm equipment and all. He’s working harder than ever these days, what with things being the way they are. Farmers don’t have much money to spare.”
“I guess not.” Meg searched for something else to say, shocked to find that it was necessary. After all this time, there should have been a
Similar Books
